Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अथ सोमेश्वराख्यं च तत्र लिंगं सुशोभनम् । अस्ति ख्यातं त्रिलोकेऽत्र स्वयं सोमेन निर्मितम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | atha someśvarākhyaṃ ca tatra liṃgaṃ suśobhanam | asti khyātaṃ triloke'tra svayaṃ somena nirmitam

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിടെ ‘സോമേശ്വര’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള അത്യന്തം ശോഭനമായ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. അത് ത്രിലോകത്തും പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്; സ്വയം സോമൻ (ചന്ദ്രൻ) അതിനെ അവിടെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• अथ: then, now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक (indeclinable: ‘then/now’)

• सोमेश्वराख्यम्: named ‘Someśvara’
• सोमेश्वराख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘सोमेश्वर-आख्य’ = ‘named Someśvara’ (qualifying लिङ्गम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशबोधक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: there)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• अस्ति: exists, is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• ख्यातम्: renowned
• ख्यातम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त — ‘renowned/known’ (predicate adjective of लिङ्गम्)

• त्रिलोके: in the three worlds
• त्रिलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: ‘त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः’ → ‘in the three worlds’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशबोधक (here)

• स्वयम्: personally, by himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphatic modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः/स्वतः (indeclinable: oneself, personally)

• सोमेन: by Soma
• सोमेन: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: made, constructed
• निर्मितम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-मा (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त — ‘made/constructed’ (predicate adjective of लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somēśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as the camera reveals a radiant Somēśvara liṅga; Soma (Moon-god) is shown installing it with celestial attendants, the liṅga shining as 'triloka-khyāta'.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Somēśvara
• Liṅga
• Soma (Candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places and self-established symbols of Śiva (liṅgas) are upheld as world-renowned sources of merit and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Somēśvara liṅga-site (Somēśvara tīrtha/स्थल) within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the verse introduces the revered Somēśvara liṅga and its divine origin.